Please pray for Charles

[Lou Newton]

Charles is a member of our group here. He does not post very often, but he does read sometimes. He called me this morning and asked for prayer. He and his wife just sold everything in Ohio and moved to Florida. They are staying with their son and his wife. As they look for a house down there, it seems they are all either not suitable or too high in price.

All the churches they have visited seem to be Rick Warren type churches and far too liberal for Charles. These churches seem to focus on other things besides Christ. Also Charles had a very rewarding prison ministry in Ohio. So Charles is thinking of moving back to Ohio. He does not want to make another mistake, so he needs prayer that they would do the Lord's will in this.

Please pray for him and his wife that they do the Lord's will.

[Steve Hollander]

Why Florida in the first place? Why is there an exodus from Ohio?

[Lou Newton]

Why Florida in the first place? Why is there an exodus from Ohio?

Hi Steve, their son and his wife live in Florida and they wanted to be close to them.

[Steve Hollander]

Hi Lou,
Thanks for the answer. I have noticed people wanting to or in the process of moving out of Ohio. I am trying to understand what is so bad about Ohio. New Jersey has it beat for a hard place to live. Blessings and I hope you're feeling better and the shoulder is healing well.

[glen smith]

Charles faces a difficult decision. Age must be considered. Housing costs are a necessary ingredient. Any state or area with higher population growth will have more expensive housing while states and areas with low or no growth will have lower housing prices. Florida is the 4^th fastest growing states in the union while Ohio is in the bottom 15 to 20 with nearly a zero growth rate.

The two most important ingredients are family and ministry.
Family –
Is he at the age he will start needing more help?
Does the family in Florida need his help?
Ministry –
Was he at peace in leaving the prison ministry in Ohio?
I am sure there will be such ministries he might join in Florida.

Congregations –
Fast growing areas have more seeker friendly emphasis because it appeals to more people and member growth with their money is the worldly measure of success. These kinds of congregations always put pressure on all the other congregations to retain and attract new members as well as in finding a pastor.

Charles might look at neighborhood congregations which started before 1965 and continue in their neighborhood location. Congregations which move with the population growth indicate a failing to minister to the people in their neighborhood.

The church I grew up in started in a new subdivision of Fort Worth Texas in 1906. This congregation has never had a dynamic preacher. It remains in its original location but now is primarily a Spanish speaking congregation with a Hispanic pastor. Members I know from the forties through the sixties continue to be active even if they moved out of the neighborhood. Almost every other church in the area has gone defunct or moved. The only ones I know that remain from when I grew up are Catholic.

Twenty years ago a long term member gave about a million and half dollars to the church. A new family center was constructed with a gym. The congregation continues to have a 1000 plus in attendance on Sunday morning in the sanctuary built in the late forties. There are Sunday evening services, and Wednesday supper and prayer meeting.
Why has this old congregation survived? It is the people. A real community of believers made up mainly of simple, blue collar workers.

Charles, know this. We don’t have to know the perfect will of God for our lives because even in our wanderings he is in control. Believers are always on time at the place the Lord has prepared for them to be, with the ministry He intends for you. We need not search but testify in our going.

Ohio continues anemic population growth

http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/local/ohio-continues-anemic-population-growth/O8a9IXAc6y4DObKgkiqbpL/

[Lou Newton]

Please pray for Charles today.

[glen smith]

What news from Charles?

[Lou Newton]

What news from Charles?

Charles called me a couple of days ago. I was too busy with a death in the family to make a post.

He is down in Florida looking at homes for sale and praying about what path they should take.

I will keep you posted as he calls me.

[Lou Newton]

Charles called me this morning:

He reads your replies, but can not remember his info to log on to reply. He wanted me to thank you all for your replies, thoughts and prayers for him.

He is much more at peace now and does still not know for sure what God's will is for him to do; BUT he seems at peace trusting that God will cause him to do God's will.

The blind man did not have to know any doctrine or rules of salvation, or how to follow God. He just called out, Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me. He called on the Name of The Lord and those who call upon His Name will be saved. The blind man did not have to know how to be healed and how to receive his sight. Jesus asked him what he wanted, and the man said, I am blind and I want to see.

Jesus did the rest and gave him sight.

So all those who want who sight, just confess you can not see and Jesus will give you sight. He gave everyone that confessed they could not see, sight.